Explosions near Kabul airport: what we know

At least two explosions occurred near Kabul airport on Thursday, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Thursday evening.

“We can confirm that the explosion at Abbey Gate was the result of a complex attack which left a number of American and civilian casualties.

We can also confirm that at least one other explosion took place at or near the Hotel Baron, a short distance away ”tweeted the US official who added that he did not have clear information on possible victims at the moment.

#kabul #flughafen #explosion / Photos afghanischer Journalisten pic.twitter.com/0IX03H181M

- Katrin Eigendorf (@KEigendorf) August 26, 2021

American and civilian victims, at least 13 dead?

According to a military source, the explosion occurred near Abbey Gate, one of the three access points to the airport where thousands of Afghans have been thronging for 12 days anxious to leave the country now in hands of the Taliban.

At least 5 dead and a dozen wounded were taken to a hospital in Kabul after the explosions at the airport in the Afghan capital, where operations are taking place to evacuate Afghans wanting to flee their country, a photographer also noted. AFP on site.

Mansour, a Franco-Afghan who lives in Lille, was evacuated from Kabul earlier this week with his family.

One of his relatives was some 200 meters from the Abbey Gate when the attack occurred.

“He saw people running screaming, others carrying injured people in their vehicles to take them to the hospital,” he tells us after having his friend on the phone.

At least ten people would count among the victims according to an initial report of local media which for some evoke at least 13 deaths including children, coming from a Taliban source.

According to Fox News and the Jerusalem Post, five American soldiers were injured in the attack, one of them very seriously.

US President Joe Biden is being kept informed of developments after the explosions that took place near Kabul airport on Thursday, the White House said.

The president "is in the Situation room," the White House crisis room, an official said on condition of anonymity.

No French victim

“No French soldier, policeman or diplomat had been hired today at Abbey Gate,” French Ambassador David Martinon said in a tweet.

Thought for the victims.

To our relatives: no French soldier, policeman or diplomat had been hired today at Abbey Gate.

#safe

- David Martinon (@david_martinon) August 26, 2021

Moreover, in the chaos around Kabul airport, France will still try to evacuate "several hundred" Afghans from Kabul reacted Emmanuel Macron, in an intervention during his stay in Ireland.

He added that Paris was doing "the maximum" to get there but without guarantee because of the "extremely tense" security situation at Kabul airport.

"As we speak, we have 20 buses with binational nationals and (of) Afghans that we want to be able to repatriate (..) This represents several hundred people still in danger", he added during his trip to Dublin.

American and allied officials had in recent days reported credible threats of suicide attacks around Kabul airport where a gigantic airlift has been organized since August 14. Minutes before the explosion, Mr Kirby denied reports that evacuations from Afghanistan could end earlier than expected due to the threats.